Ducks

The last two Stanley Cup champions were evenly matched in their second-round series opener. Then host Detroit got the best of Anaheim. Nicklas Lidstrom scored his second goal of the game with 49.1 seconds left, lifting the Red Wings to a 3-2 win over the Ducks on Friday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal series. Lidstrom started the winning play behind his own net, skated up the ice, shot and scored off his rebound. He scored a go-ahead goal for the defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings in the second period after teammate and fellow Swede Johan Franzen tied it in the first following their first deficit of the playoffs.

Having your painting featured on a wildlife stamp is no easy accomplishment, but Groveland artist John Nelson Harris secured his seventh stamp last month when his painting of a lesser scaup duck won the 2014 California Duck Stamp Competition. The painting will be the official design for the 2014-15 California duck hunting stamp, all proceeds for which will go to California waterfowl conservation efforts. Fourteen other artists submitted paintings for the competition, which is sponsored by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

•I'm disgruntled by the fact that my wife and I pay high premiums for health care insurance and still get billed for additional amounts from doctors, labs, etc. •Don't drive in the left lane under the speed limit just because you are making a left turn 5 miles up the road. •I'm ticked off that the train routinely decides to block access to downtown roads by stopping on tracks, even at rush hour. •To the food stamp shopper: You can buy $3.00 of ground beef, or chicken, add $4.00 of veggies/pasta, and make a soup or pasta dish that feeds 4 people, versus four steaks for $25. The catch?

Eighty years ago today, Mickey Mouse's short-tempered, feathered friend Donald Duck made his Disney debut. That's right, one of the world's most popular and most recognizable ducks is celebrating his 80th birthday today. In 1934, Donald Duck was created, giving a creative balance to the cool, calm and collected -- and overall cheery -- personality of Mickey Mouse. Donald made his debut in a Silly Symphony cartoon titled "The Wise...

The executives who run the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission appeared at the Orange County Commission on Tuesday to try to convince commissioners that the EDC's work is worthy of taxpayer money. But after the more than hour-long presentation, they still didn't answer the $704,000 question: Will they begin to confirm the job creation numbers they boast so often about? Instead of answering the question directly, a trio of CEOs ducked and dodged in a way that would make the Magic's point guards look stiff.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — A South Florida couple accused of paying to have eight neighborhood ducks rounded up — and eventually killed — have been convicted of petty theft. A Palm Beach County judge found Blain and Robert Aymond guilty Tuesday afternoon. They face a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Authorities say the Palm Beach Gardens couple hired a trapper to remove the birds after corralling them into their patio. The trapper then took the ducks to a shelter, where they were euthanized.

Say goodbye to the ducks. The Peabody Orlando, granddaddy of Orlando's convention industry, is being sold to Hyatt Hotels Corp. for $717 million, the companies said Wednesday. The first hotel to be built near the Orange County Convention Center, the Peabody has been a cornerstone of Central Florida's convention district since opening in 1986. Over the years, the hotel has made a name for itself in terms of its customer service, though it is perhaps best known for its ducks, which ceremoniously march to and from the hotel's lobby fountain at precisely 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day. Hyatt Hotels said the Peabody will be rebranded the Hyatt Regency Orlando Convention Center after the scheduled Oct. 1 sale closes.

I HAVE READ with interest about the great Muscovy duck controversy. A point not brought out is that these ducks are aggressors. They run off the males of other species and breed with the females. They are not a ''live-and- let-live'' duck.I know. I lived on a 10-acre pond in Casselberry, the same one on which the Casselberry Park fronts and observed them for two years.I recently moved, but I can attest that if you want a variety of waterfowl, the Muscovies must be kept to a less than dominant number.

By Martin E. Comas Orlando Sentinel For the past month or so, residents at Lake County's Deer Island have enjoyed watching some new visitors swimming in their neighborhood's lake: A paddling of black-bellied whistling ducks. “It's exciting,” said Mary Anne DeHarde. “I can't imagine how they found us, or why they like staying here.” DeHarde and other residents first noticed the two dozen birds in August. The ducks have long red bills. Their bellies and tails are black.

The Clearwater Library System's text-a-librarian service has received more than 250 texts since its start this year. Here's a sample of some actual questions and responses from Clearwater and Volusia County library systems. Do u have the book Stone Cold Truth? A: We do have it by Steve Austin. Would you like me to make a request for you. Where do you want to pick it up? We r at a small zoo. Can all ducks swim under water? A: There are diving ducks who swim underwater for deeper food and dabbling ducks who feed on the surface of shallow water.

Don't duck debate Charlie Crist has made a big point of saying that South Florida is critical in his bid to win back the governor's office this November. Given his focus on the region, Crist really has no excuse for not debating Nan Rich, a former state senator from Weston. Rich also is running to be the Democratic nominee for governor, and is highly regarded in South Florida. She has long been a leader among the region's Democrats, and served as minority leader in the Florida Senate her last two years in Tallahassee.

WHAT : Think the racing at the Daytona 500 is fierce? NASCAR drivers may have finely tuned engines and pit crews, but rubber ducks have no mercy. They also don't have brains or a means of propulsion, so cheering these competitors to the finish line as they float lazily along may require a little sense of humor. Also on tap at this annual event: Animal encounters and children's activities, including a bounce house, hayride and the main mallard event. WHEN : 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22 WHERE : Mead Garden, 1300 S. Denning Drive, Winter Park COST : Free ($5 to "adopt" a rubber duck)

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck. Or, possibly, Rodney Hill. Hill, 30, from tiny Sneads, Florida, logged more than 17,000 miles last year, driving from Alabama to Ohio to Pennsylvania to Texas to Michigan, honking and whistling in state contests to earn a spot in the World Duck-Calling Championship, held annually in Arkansas and regarded as the Super Bowl of duck-calling. He will compete Sunday in the state's lone qualifying match at the Old Florida Outdoor Festival in Apopka on Jason Dwelley Parkway.

Facebook is a good way to keep up with the lives of people who are friends but not the kind you talk with every day. The social-media site is also the perfect way to stalk your teenager. As a species, teens seem genetically incapable of keeping their most daring exploits off the Internet. Sometimes they even post pictures. Got 'em! But the best part of Facebook is the unexpected. Hidden among the Bible verses, pictures of cats with clever captions and news of births, illness and death are some lovely gems.

Say goodbye to the ducks. The Peabody Orlando, granddaddy of Orlando's convention industry, is being sold to Hyatt Hotels Corp. for $717 million, the companies said Wednesday. The first hotel to be built near the Orange County Convention Center, the Peabody has been a cornerstone of Central Florida's convention district since opening in 1986. Over the years, the hotel has made a name for itself in terms of its customer service, though it is perhaps best known for its ducks, which ceremoniously march to and from the hotel's lobby fountain at precisely 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day. Hyatt Hotels said the Peabody will be rebranded the Hyatt Regency Orlando Convention Center after the scheduled Oct. 1 sale closes.

SANFORD---At least 34 dead or dying ducks were discovered Friday night along Lake Monroe, adding to the mystery of two dozen dead birds found earlier in the week. Seminole County spokesman Steve Olson said that a number of adult birds were among those found Friday night on Marina Island, and that the ducks who were still alive appeared to be paralyzed. All the dead ducks found before were juveniles. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the deaths, but Olson said no cause had been determined.

2013 Pac-12 Preview TOP TEAM: It's a testament to the Oregon program Chip Kelly built that his team remains the favorite to win the Pac-12 Conference despite his departure. Kelly moved on to the NFL just ahead of NCAA sanctions that were focused on him and had little impact on the Oregon program. During the four seasons Kelly led the Ducks, the program posted a 46-7 record and went to four consecutive BCS bowl games. Kelly's rapid-fire offense helped the Ducks thrive. Offensive coordinator Mark Helfirch moved up to the head coaching job. Helfirch has the talent on the roster and knowledge of the offense to help the Ducks remain Pac-12 title contenders.

When I saw a pair of ducks in the lake, I thought I knew what they were. "Mallards," I said to myself reflecting upon childhood memories. When I was young, I often saw mallards swimming in the lake next to my Pennsylvania home. Male mallards have bright green iridescent plumage on their heads and necks in contrast to the plainer - some might say drab-colored females. Each of the two ducks I saw swimming in my lake resembled female mallards. Both were dappled shades of brown and tan, although one seemed slightly darker and its bill was a bit more brightly colored.